The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1887-09-21
l4lsIoaY oa rHE FLAe.


Tho lsonian slaeIe-rhe crasneea.
In the Bills the mention of tanners
Standards m ensigns IS frequent IN tie,
second chapter OF Numbers and tie Sec
ond verse: Every man of the children
of Israel shall pitch by his own standard
with the ensicn of their fathers house. "
And in the thirty fourth verse: $50 they
pitched by their standards. and 50 they,
set forward. every one after their fam
lilies, according to the house of their
fathers y And again, when the Israeli
ties are marching from Sinai to- Paranf
''In the first place went the standard of
the camp of the children of JnGah. ac1
cording to their armies. There arc other
numerous instances, too numerous to
quote, from Isaiah, jeremiah and the
Canticles.
Among tho Egyptians the several come
panies carried standards, models of ss-
cred animals and emblems. and the kings
name figured in some fashion ON boarIls
and the Assyrians had much the sanlc.
of which there are two noticed by Sir
Henry Layard, one of man drawing n
bow and the other of two bulls running
in opposite directions. supposed to be the
emblems of war ard peace attached TO
Darius chariot. The Persians had an
eagle fixed ON a lance and bisizen sun
on the generals tent, ON which the first
rays of the sun striking gave the signal
for the march. The Greeks in the cartier
times bore ar1nor on spear, and in
later each city had its sacred emblem:
for Athens. the owl and the olive; for
Corinth, the pegasus, and for Thcbes, the
sphinx, in memory of G1dipns; aud.
later still, us on the sea a red flag dis
played is said to have been the flag of
L. II. Al l. a
purple dress on 4 spear was the signal to-
the Hellenes to advance and fight. 1t is
very easy to he tiresome with a very little
learning. and so we viii leave Greece and
the larbarians, will omit mention of the
arms of the seven against Thebes--to be
found duly set out in the play-wilI
quote none of the references from Virgil,
and come direct to the Romans and their
sigma nliitaria.
The manipulus in the early days of tie
republic carried hay on n pole, like a
Breton peasant; then devices very various,
among them the contorted serpent, tho
special ensign of the foreign auxilialies.
But it was not till after the time of SInrius
they displayed The eagle that in the great
days of Rome was ever the sign of tho
legion. II was that the soldiers swore BY;
1t was that when, as last desperate re-
source, it WAS thrown into the ranks OF
the enemy. that they would follow and
rescue or die.
We are told that 100 years after Casar's
first attack ON us, Aviragus. brother of
Guiderus, king of South Britain, boro
azure a cross pattee, fitched ia the foot;
and we know that once the Romans were
withdrawn and the SaxOnS held rule,
each Kingdom of the 1Ieptarchy was dis
tinguished by device, of which the white
horse of Kent, borne by Heu,yist and
Horsa ON their shields, is a familiar ex-
ample. Then we have Egbcrt, with "a
cross patonce-tliat is, n cross fleurie, cx-
panded-to which his great grandson add
ed four martlets Ia iealJess and fooilrss
bird of heraIdry). and Edward the Com
fessor fifth; and that is the flag, chat
and the flag of st. Elmlmd-blle. with
three gold cTowns-llIder which the
early English kings fought
Now, If at this time we gIanco abroad,
it is certain we see Clovis /, king of the
Franks, take the blue cape of ST. Martin
and hoist it as the royal banner; and for
132 years the royal tanner it remains,
till $40, when the oriflamme n red flag
with green fringe. sacred to the Abbey Of
st. Denis, was pulled up over it. Tho
hcurs-de-lys, older as an emblem than the
Trinity they are supposed to represent,
were not peculiarly French or royal till
the Twelfth century
To the CrIisades it is clear that we must
look for the first real dignity of the flag,
Coeur de Lions crusade in particular, for
he gave rise to more arIITorial hearings
than have sprung from any other single
cause whatever, not even ezce;lting fiie
battle of Crecy. And not only are there
more families bearing arms from merit
achieved then, or assumed arms then,
but families innumerable, on engaging In
the war, changed their devices for others
more suited 10 the solcmnity of the oc-
casion.
Now let us, having got so far, take tho
present royal standard, or, more cor
rectly. banner, first lIoisted sn the tower
January 1, 1901, and consider how and
of what 1t is composed. To descriI,c II,
her;lldically, il is ..Quarterly. first and
fourth, gules, three lions passant gar
dant, in pale, or, for EngIcnd; second,
or hon rampant gllles, within a
double Treasure, fory, counterhory Of tile
last, for Scotland; third, azure, a harp.
OF, 6tringed argent, for Ireland . The
flag has been produced, we are told, in
considerable conteIspt of heraldic rules.
but assmedly, for all that, It exciees no
less Obedience, cnthusiGsQ and respect.-
Cornllin Magazine.
The Genius Of the Kitchen.
Tho lady x,I,o. ,,eas-;,y,., -. q,